It was indeed. I remember buying Quit Dreaming when it came out, listening studiously to the main album, then putting on Sounding The Ritual Echo expecting songs that hadn't made the cut, single b-sides etc. It wasn't anything like that of course! Utterly mesmerising and I'm sure I've listened to it more than Quit Dreaming (which I've listened to a gazilllion times!).
The only other 'Well I wasn't expecting anything like that!' moment I've had which compares is listening to Paddy MacAloon's 'I Trawl The Megahertz' expecting Prefab Sprout songs. Different to Sounding The Ritual Echo but equally glorious.